Envelope seal



March s, 1938. E w SHARKEY A 2,110,277

ENVELOPE SEAL Filed Oct. 2,1936

EVEPETT l/V. SH/WKEY INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PA'rsr orties Application October 2,

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to an envelope or container seal, but more particularly to a substitute for the present wax impressed seal; the substitute construction serving as a safety clasp for envelopes adapted to contain documents, letters, blue-prints, models and the like, to be held in escrow or `conveyed through the mails intact.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of an envelope seal or safety clasp which operates conjointly with the gummed sealing flap on the principle of ai latch so that the contents cannot be ascertained without destroying both the envelope and the safety clasp.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a safety clasp which is easily applied to an envelope or other container having a sealing flap and wherein a minimum amount of initial pressure of the hand' operates the latching means into permanent locking position, there being no projections which might tend to injure the contents of the envelope and there being no projecting tongues which require the necessity of being attened out by the above mentioned pressure.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a clasp on the outer flap of which a monogram or coat-of-arms may be stamped, the clasp itself being capable of being stamped from a resilient metal blank.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a clasp which is of simple construction, which is economical to manufacture and which is aesthetic in appearance.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointe-d out in the appended claims.

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing a preferred form of the invention and wherein corresponding reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In accordance with the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the rear surface of an envelope with the safety clasp aixed thereto in operative position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 along the plane 2-2 thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 4 along the plane 3-3 thereof.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the safety clasp per se, a part thereof being broken away.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the safety clasp shown in Figure 4.

In accordance with the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, a form thereof is now to be described.

A container having a sealing iiap such as envelope 9 is used in conjunction with the new and 1936, Serial No. 103,651

improved safety clasp. Envelope 9, as shown, is provided with a rear body surface II! and the ordinary gummed sealing flap I I. Numeral I2 indicates the upper `edge of the rear body surface I0 of the envelope The safety clasp is preferably formed from an elongated strip of resilient metal which is adapted toy be folded to provide a front flap I3, a rear ap I4 and an intermediate ap I5, the said folding resulting in a clasp having a substantially Z-formation.

The intermediate flap- I5 is preferably narrow and uniform in width while the front and rear flaps I3 and I4 respectively preferably taper to a greater width towards the central vertical axis and are correspondingly reduced toward the opposite end, as best shown in Figures l, 4 and 5. Thus the front flap I3 is wide enough to bear the seal, monogram or coat-of-arms impressed thereon of the user. If desirable, the width of flaps I3, I4 and I5 may all be uniform. It is to be observed, however, that the wider I3 and I4 are, the easier it is for the user to bear initial pressure on the front flap for purposes of latching the clasp in permanently locked position, as will hereinafter appear.

Depending from the front flap I3 are a pair of spaced latching fingers I6 and I l, the lower terminals of which are provided with upwardly offset portions i3 and IS. Latching finger I6 penetrates the intermediate ap I5 at one end thereof, as indicated by numeral A20, in View of the proximity between the said intermediate flap I5 and the front flap I3; while latching finger I'I terminates slightly above the intermediate flap I5 near the end thereof by virtue of the increased distance between the sai-d two aps.y

Rear liap I is provided with a latching plate member 2l for the offset portion I8 of latching finger i6. The said latching plate member 2I is formed by folding the open end portion of rear plate It upwardly and inwardly, as best shown in Figure 3. The latching plate member 2l is provided with an aperture 22 which is eccentrically mounted with respect to latching nger I6. The degree of eccentricity between latching finger I6 and aperture 22 determines the deflection of latching finger Iii when the lower surface of offset portion I3 is wedged outwardly on the upper surface of latching plate member 2I in order to penetrate aperture 22. Following the penetration of offset portion I8 of nger IS through aperture 22, a release of pressure on latching finger 20 eifectuates a permanent locking between the offset portion I8 and the lower surface of the latching plate member 2l. This is, of course, due to the return of latching nger 20 after it has passed through the relatively eccentrically positioned aperture 22 and pressure has been released.

Intermediate flap I5, near its folded end, serves as a latching plate member, as indicated by numeral 23, similar in function to latching plate member 2|. An aperture 24 is therein provided corresponding to aperture 22, the said aperture 24 also being eccentrically mounted relative to latching finger I'I.

In order to avoid the offset portions I8 and I9 from penetrating the envelope when in any possible position, rear iiap I4 is provided with two spaced recesses 25 and 26, the said recesses being in vertical alignment with apertures 22 and 24, respectively. The purpose of recesses 25 and 26 is to house the offset portions I8 and I9 when pressure is applied to front iiap I3. Of course, upon the release of suchv pressure, the offset portions I8 and I9, together with fingers I6 and II, rebound to be engaged by the undersurface of latching plate member 2| and latching plate member 23, as best shown in Figure 2. The safety clasp above described'is easily applied and operated on any container having a sealing flap. After the contents are inserted in the envelope or container, the sealing flap,if gummed, is moistened Thereupon, the safety clasp is applied to the free edge I2 intermediate the width thereof, so that the rear body portion 'I0 of the envelope is situated between the intermediate ilapl and rear flap Il. When this is done, the folding flap II of the envelope is passed between the front flap I3 and the intermediate flap I5 through the opening therebetween, as illustrated on Figure 3. Thereupon, initial pressure is applied to the upper surface of front flap I3 until the clicks of f the latching fingers I6 and Il are heard as they penetrate apertures 22 and 24, the pressure then beingV released. Upon therelease of pressure, offset portions I8 and I9 permanently lock against the undersurface of latching plate members 2I and 23, respectively. During the application of pressure, the ngers I6 and I'I penetrate the body surface` I and the folding flap II of the envelope, it being impossible for the said latching fingers to penetrate the front wall of envelope S by virtue of the recess 25 and 26, as indicated in Figure 2. The permanent locking arrangement of ngers I6 and I1 makes it impossible to' open the safety clasp without destroying the same. Moreover, only that amount of pressure as applied to` front flap I3, is required to bring about the penetration of the latching fingers I6 andvll through apertures 22 and 24, re-

spectively. The element of iiatteningout pro-y jecting tongues is absent in the present construction, thereby relieving the user of applying excess pressure on frontiiap I3. The operation ofthe present clasp really operates onthe mortise and tenon joint principle wherein the mortise is eccentrically disposed in relation tothe tenon.

I wish it understood that minor changes and `variations in the material used, in the integration and location of the several parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and without departing from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A safety clasp for article holders having a sealing flap, comprising an outer and inner flap, an intermediate iiap joining the opposite ends of said outer and inner flaps, resilient latching iingers dependng from the outer flap, two apertured latching plate members situated inwardly of the ends of the inner ap, the first being integral with the inner flap and the second integral with the intermediate flap, the inner flap having a pair of spaced depressions in vertical alignment with the. apertures of the plate members, the said depressions recessing the terminals of the fingers upon initial pressure to the outer flap whereupon the fingers rebound to latch with the undersurface of the said plate members.

2. A safety clasp for article holders having a sealing iiap, comprising an outer and inner ap, an intermediate flap joining the opposite ends of said outer and inner naps, resilient and spaced latching fingers depending from the outer flap, one of the said fingers penetrating the end portion of the intermediate flap, two apertured latching plate members situated inwardly of the ends of the inner flap and thereabove, the first being integral with the inner flap and the second integral with the intermediate iiap, the inner ,flap having a pair of spaced depressions in vertical alignment with theV apertures of the plate minals of the fingers upon initial pressure to the outer iiap whereupon the fingers upon release of pressure rebound to latch with the undersurface of the said plate members.

3. A safety clasp for article holders having a sealing flap comprising an elongated member folded to provide an outer, inner and intermediate ap resilient latching fingers depending from the outer flap, one of the said fingers penetrating the end portion of the intermediate flap, two apertured latching plate members situatedinwardly ofthe ends of the inner iiap the first plate member being an upwardly and inwardly turned end portion of the inner iiap and the second plate member being one end portion of the intermediate flap, the inner flap having a pair of spaced depressions in vertical alignment with the apertures of the plate members, the said depressions recessing the terminals of the fingers upon,

initial pressure to the outer flap whereupon the fingers upon release of pressure rebound to latch with the undersurface of the said plate members.

A4.V In a safety clasp for article holders having a sealing flap in combination with an elongated member folded to provide an outer, inner and intermediate flap, and with resilient latching fingers depending from the outer flap, two apertured latching plate members for the said latching fingers continuous with and integral With the inner flap.

5. In a safety clasp forarticle holders having a sealing flap, in combination with an elongated member folded to provide an outer, inner and intermediate flap, and with resilient latching lingers depending from the outer iiap, one of the said fingers penetrating the end portion of the intermediate flap, two apertured latching plate portions for the said latching fingers forming part of the intermediate and inner fiaps.`

6. In a safety clasp for article holders having a sealing flap, in combination with an elongated member folded to providean outer, inner and intermediate flap, and with resilient latching lingers depending from the outer flap, two apertured latching plate members for the said latching ngers respectively formed with the inner and intermediate flap.

EVERETT W. SHARKEY. 

